Don't Leave Me
by AshallynDXA
Summary: As promised! New story, mainly Ridgephos. It's the end of the world, and everything is exploding on the old Tekkit world. Rythian is evacuating everyone, but where's Zoey? Bits of Zoethian, mostly Rythna.


-Xephos' POV-

"Ridge? Ridge, where are you?" I stumble through the smoke and ash falling from the sky. Another explosion goes off, throwing me into the air. Right before I hit the ground, a strong pair of arms catches me.

"It's ok, I've got you. You're safe."

"Ridge!" I throw my arms around the taller man's neck as soon as he sets me down. My knees buckle a bit, so he pulls me closer. I rest my head on his shoulder as he wraps his arms around my waist.

"Hurry, go find Rythian!" he says, barely audible over the explosions and fire alarms going off everywhere, as well as the crackling of the fires that have sprouted up everywhere.

"What? Why Rythian?" I ask, very confused.I hadn't spoken to the mage in some time.

"Hmm murphmpph, hmmr?" I can't hear Ridge at all; the fires are too loud.

"What?" I ask. Ridge leans his head closer to mine.

"He's Enderborn, remember?" I shoot him a confused look. "He can teleport himself, and set up portals for others. He's evacuating the world." He explains all of this with a very patient voice, as if speaking to a child. Funny, since I'm just two months younger than him. There's a tense note in his voice; tense, and concerned. He's really freaked out about this. Then comprehension dawns on my face as I realize that Rythian might be my only chance of survival. Ridge looks relieved as he sees the understanding flicker across my face.

"I'll fly you over," he says, and spins me around really fast, then wrapping his arms around my waist and taking to the air. He flies like Superman, and it scares the crap out of me. I may be a spaceman, but I prefer flying with a firm surface beneath my feet. I shriek a bit, and clutch his arms, hooking my ankles behind his.

Hey, it's scary to be flying when you're not at the controls!

Five minutes later, (read; five horribly terrifying minutes later) we touch down at Rythian's fortress. Ridge lets me go, and I stumble again. This time, I catch myself before I fall, waving away Ridge's offered arm. I look up, and there's a metal circle floating in the air, shimmering with purple light. Silhouetted by the light is a tall man, all legs. Even in silhouette, the muscles below the surface are visible. In the darkness of the figure's face, to purple orbs glow, right above a slightly illuminated black mask. Enderborn. Bright purple eyes, combined with glowing purple magic means Enderborn.

The Endermage, the most powerful magic user in the world.

I turn my attention from the man in front of me to the circle behind. Old, old metal, nothing that is now found naturally on Earth. Looks familiar to my trained spaceman eyes. I gasp as recognition dawns.

"My god, it's a Stargate..." The tall man, having moved out of the light, nods.

"It is," he says.

"Where did you find it? I thought they were all destroyed! And where would this one go, anyway? They're all gone, or buried!" The words stream out of my mouth like a flood, fast and unintelligible.

"I made it." Silence falls. I feel my mouth drop open. "Magic does funny things when you're desperate. Lalna was in trouble, and I-" The man- the mage- turned away, his voice choking up. "I wanted to get him out, and so I just.. Asked for something. My magic gave me a Stargate. I sent Lalna through already."

All of a sudden, I'm struck with a thought. "Oh god, where's Honeydew?' I asked, panicking. The dwarf was notorious for getting lost and in trouble, and so I was automatically worried.

The mage's Swedish accent calmed me when he spoke again. "I sent him through. He went with Lalna, Sips, and Sjin. They're through already." he looks over at Ridge. "I have a list of people for you. The ones I haven't sent yet." I didn't catch this. I was still worried by one thing.

"Hey, if there are no more Stargates, what's on the other end?"

Silence.

"I don't know."

"We have to trust him, Xeph," says Ridge. 'He's the only hope we have of-" Another explosion racks the earth, shaking me off my unsteady feet. Ridge catches me, and my head is next to his. "I've been picking you up a lot today," he murmurs, his breath hot on my ear.

"Yeah... sorry." I blush. He laughs quietly in my ear. His laugh is one of my favorite sounds in the world.

"Don't be," he says with a grin. "I'm not complaining."

"Erm" slight coughing from the Swedish mage brings the both of us back to the present. Now we're both blushing.

"Go through, Xeph," says Ridge. I nod, and step forward again. Then a sudden thought stops me. There's no warmth by my side, no hand holding mine. Ridge isn't next to me. I turn back to him.

"Ridge, aren't you coming?" I ask. He shakes his head. "But- Why not?"

"There are people still out there, our friends, whom no one has heard from or seen since the first explosion. I'm the only one who can fly right now who isn't injured or occupied. The mage opens his mouth to disagree, and Ridge cuts him off. "You need to stay near the Stargate to keep it open." I perk my head up. "You can only teleport," says Ridge. "You can only help if you know exactly where you're going. I'm sorry, but we don't know where the people are, so you can't help. I'm so sorry," he says, noting the tears in my eyes. I close my eyes, and catch my breath.

"Who is still missing?' I ask. Ridge turns to the mage.

"Rythian, do you have that list?" Rythian nods. "Read it out, ok?"

"We're still missing Minty, Parv, Ravs, Strippin, Benji, Panda, Lomadia, Kim, Teep, and Zoey." His voice catches on the last two. I look up at him; this has to be really hard on him. He loves Zoey, and not knowing where she is has to be pretty hard on him. Ridge nods his head.

"I'll keep looking," he says. Then he turns his gaze to me. "Xeph, you have to get out of here. It's not safe anymore." I start to protest and he walks up to me and wraps his arms around me. "I'm sorry I can't go through with you, but I need to find them. You little sister, Lom, is still out there. You have to let me go find her. I love you, Xeph. That's why I have to let you go." I've started crying by now.

But I can't just leave! Says a voice in my head. He's always been there for you, you can't let him go now! Ever since my ship crashed into the mountains and I woke up in his castle, I've loved him. Even after I left the castle and adventured with my dwarven friend, on a quest to find and destroy Israphel, I missed him. Once I found Lom and started raising her as my little sister, I would still wait for Ridge to come flying over the mountains to talk to me, and share a cup of coffee.

And now, to be asked to leave him behind?

I bury my head in his shoulder, all of a sudden crying like a small child. Ridge wraps his arms around me, whispering words into my ears, telling me to calm down.

"I don't want to leave," I sob. "I love you, I don't want to leve you."

Ridge pulls back, looks me in the eye, and says, "I will find you. I swear, I will always find you." Then he pulls my face to his, and kisses me. Right there, in the middle of explosions and fire, in front of a scary Swedish mage and a Stargate that appeared out of desire. I'm startled for a minute, but then I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer. We stop for air, then kiss again.

After what feels like an eternity, Ridge rests his forehead against mine, both of us breathing hard, and promises that he will find me. I let him go, and watch him fly away. Then I turn to the mage.

"So I just step through, then?" Rythian is looking at me with a look of absolute shock on his face. I blush, realizing that Ridge and I had just blown our entire charade of pretending we weren't together. Then the mage shakes his head, and nods.

"Just step through. Here, take this." He passes me a small feather, made of obsidian, shimmering with purple light. "It's a flight charm. It'll keep you from taking fall damage when you go through." I take it.

"Thank you, Rythian.' He nods.

I take a deep breath, and step through, just as another explosion goes off. Behind me I hear a scream.

"No, oh god, no, no, no! Zoey, Zoey, wake up, please!"

"She's dead, Rythian . I'm so sorry."

A howl tears the air, the howl of a man who just lost everything, screaming one word; "NO!" Then the portal whisks me away, and all I can see is black.

When I wake up, I've landed in a field. Grass, flowers. Cows.

But no Ridge.

If you liked it, let me know, and I will write another chapter! Thank you, by the way, to every single one of you who read Can You Forgive Me?, especially those who reviewed the story. Couldn't have done it without you, and special thanks to ImDefinitelySane and SpiritedandLoyal. Big thanks to you two!

Remember, favorite and review for more! Byee!

-Ash


End file.
